Fresno Wrongful Death Attorneys Pursue Compensation for Families

California firm litigates cases arising from fatalities caused by negligence

It can be difficult to comprehend the different ways in which a loved one’s untimely death affects the people closest to them. Legal and financial issues might be the last thing on your mind while dealing with grief, but a wrongful death claim can offer bereaved families some relief while holding the negligent party accountable. The knowledgeable California attorneys at the Law Offices of Valdez & Valdez, A Professional Corporation advocate for plaintiffs in wrongful death litigation throughout California’s Central Valley and Central Coast.

What is considered a wrongful death?

Wrongful death claims are civil cases in which one or more defendants may be held liable for causing someone else’s death through their negligence or intentional act. In many ways, these actions resemble personal injury claims, but can be more difficult to prove because the victim is not available to testify as to what happened. As accomplished California injury lawyers, we know how to gather the necessary physical evidence, witness accounts and expert testimony in order to develop strong arguments for appropriate legal relief. Damages in a wrongful death action can include compensation for the income and benefits the decedent would have been projected to earn over their lifetime, reimbursement for funeral and burial costs and payment to address the loss of companionship suffered by loved ones.

Workplace deaths

If a family member suffered a death in the workplace, the first thing you need to know is that death benefits are provided through an employer’s workers’ compensation coverage without having to show fault on the employer’s part. These benefits include reimbursement for funeral expenses up to $10,000 and periodic benefits to survivors that can total between $250,000 and $320,000 depending on how many dependents the victim had at the time of their death. Surviving members who collect these payments through the workers’ compensation system might also be able to collect damages in a wrongful death claim if a third party (not the victim’s employer or a co-worker) was fully or partially liable for the fatality.